Peruvian Amazon Needs to win the battle

I received this e-mail today, of a friend of mine who is living in the peruvian amazon.
Doesn't it seem strange that we really don't seem to hear much at all about this in the media.
Why Not? It really makes you wonder..............

As most of you know I have been living in Peru for over a year now. I have been interacting with the native communities in the Amazon basin along with other international environmental organizations. I am preparing for a traveling exhibit in the states in 2009 starting in Jan. The main subjects I am painting are the myths and legends of the jungle centered around the plant healing Shamanism. I am also doing a documentary on the destruction of the rain forest by the impacts of the multinational oil, mining and lumber companies.
About 7-8 months ago the United States Government signed a free trade agreement with the Peruvian government to give access to their natural resources. Alan Garcia, the Peruvian president, had to offer guarantees to the American investors. So, in the last 6 months Garica has changed 38 crucial laws that take away land given to the indegenous, reduces the size of land given to the indigenous, and allows companies to go into protected areas to deplete resources and contaminate pristine jungle. The Peruvian congress negated Garcia's demands and Garcia made a legislative declaration to override congress. He had to change the laws quickly, because the trade agreement with the US government would not be valid unless these laws were changed.
12,000 indigenous are protesting in the region I live in and this is the first, in the history of Peru, nationally organized native uprisings with 65 native communities.
This is not getting a lot coverage here or internationally, because if it did more people would be protesting, and it would expose the international agreements that are good for capitalism but totally screw the natives and environment. I have been following this for months; filming, interviewing, going into these areas. Below is one of the few articles that came out, another was on the BBC. The contamination of the oil industry is out of hand now and there are 15 new oil contracts that encompass 98% of the territory just this year. Please be discerning with what you hear on the news in the future, because many lives are at stake including my own.
Take good care
David "Slocum" Hewson



Peru declares emergency in confrontation with natives

LIMA
Petroleumworld.com, Aug 19, 2008

Peru's government declared a state of emergency Monday in areas where indigenous groups opposed to development in the Amazon basin have occupied oil installations and a hydroeletric plant for ten days.

The decision was taken because "violent acts in certain Amazon localities put security at risk," according to an official decree.

The state of emergency, which lasts 30 days, covers the eastern provinces of Bagua, Utcubamba and Datem del Maranon and the southern district of Echarate.

On Sunday, clashes between 800 demonstrators and police in Bagua left at least four people injured.

Members of the indigenous community have occupied the hydrolectric plant in Bagua and disrupted gas production in the southern Cusco region as part of their protest against government laws opening up the Amazon basin to development.

Negotiations with 65 indigenous groups taking part in the protest broke down earlier after the government refused to revoke the laws, which the natives say trample their territorial rights in favor of mining, forestry and oil companies.

The natives say the industrial plans will force them to migrate from their tribal land.

In all, about 12,000 indigenous people are taking part in the nationwide protest against development programs in the Amazon basin, where economists estimate 3.5 billion dollars worth of timber and forestry products are locked in a 92,000-square-kilometer (35,500-square-mile) region -- the size of Taiwan.

Story from AFP
AFP 181729 GMT 08 0
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